The Hindu Spiritual Teacher

"Guru is Shiva sans his three eyes, Vishnu sans his four arms Brahma sans his four heads. He is parama Shiva himself in human form"~ Brahmanda Puran

Guru is the God, say the scriptures. Indeed, the 'guru' in Vedic tradition is looked upon as one no less than a God. 'Guru' is a honorific designation of a preceptor as defined and explained variously in the scriptures and ancient literary works including epics. The English word 'guru' has its etymological origin in the Sanskrit term. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English defines it as "Hindu spiritualteacher or head of religious sect; influential teacher; revered mentor".